Monday, March 28, 2011

I was walking and I saw a BEAVER. And other pointless mumblings.

BBQ Meatballs

Got this one from my sister. :)

Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg

BBQ Sauce:
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup ketchup

Mix the meatball ingredients and form into balls. Place in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Drain off any grease. Mix together the BBQ sauce ingredients and pour over balls. Bake another 30 minutes.
















(Sorry, forgot to take a picture of them hot out of the oven! This is just the leftovers. They were yum!)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Help me decorate my living room?!?!



 

Help me decorate my living room! You see, I have a giant wall and a lot of furniture and I have no idea what to do with it all! Let me know if I should just leave it how it is, throw a couple of things on the wall, and call it good orrrrrr if I should move something around? Comment below! Thanks!

Ham & Potato Casserole

4 cups diced, cooked potatoes
1 3/4 cups diced ham
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Combine potatoes, ham and green pepper. Transfer to a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. In saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter, blend in flour until smooth & bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in  1 cup shredded cheese & paprika. Season sauce with salt & pepper. Pour over ham mixture. Top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

3 cups egg noodles
1 (6oz) can tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
4 slices of cheese
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese

Prepare noodles as directed. Separate tuna into flakes. Mix with soup, milk, & seasonings. Cut cheese slices into small pieces. Add to sauce mixture. Combine tuna & noodles in casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Alice In Wonderland Quilt (the beginning)

I got a lot done with my quilt today! Here is a photo of my progress:

























I just placed the pieces together to get an idea of what this would look like. I think it is going to turn out very cool! Piecing a quilt together is A LOT of work!

Organizing/Redecorating Bedroom

The other day I made this big curtain out of a flat bed sheet. It covers up the weird little room where we have all of our dressers and my vanity. It works well because that room is super cluttered and I like having all of that stuff in one place. I got a tan queen sheet and a tension rod from Target and spent about $20. I cut the sheet in half, hemmed the rough edges, and sewed across the top to make the "pocket" for the tension rod to slip through. It was really simple!



I want to redecorate my bedroom. The image below is my inspiration. There are a lot of colors in this piece. I already have a green comforter and lots of wood tones, tans and browns. I thought I could throw a couple of pink/peach, cream and (maybe) teal touches. I want to make a few cover-ups for my tv stand and other pieces of furniture and make a new blanket to go across the bottom of the bed (not sure of the technical term for it). I also might make a few decorative pillows for the bed.

Organizing/Redecorating Living Room

I've caught the bug----the cleaning bug!! I was laid off from my job and have spent the last few weeks feverishly cleaning and organizing my apartment.  Yesterday we tackled the living room. Almost all of my furniture is mismatched, so I have a hard time arranging it so it looks good. Yesterday we moved the bookshelves to be on either side of the television, so as to create a makeshift entertainment center. Not 100% sure I love the layout, but I am leaving it for now to let it sink in for a couple of days.



It's times like these when I wish I knew someone who lived closer. I would love a female's opinion on how to go about decorating. I took a lot of things off of my walls and am going to put it back up once I am happy with the arrangement of the furniture.

I am working on an Alice In Wonderland quilt and will (hopefully) be purchasing a quilt hanger for my wall. I would like to decorate around that and use those colors. It is vintage looking and uses all of the colors that I love. I will post a picture of the pieces I have later. I have not started sewing yet---just have it cut out.

I will post more later about my organizing, rearranging, and sewing adventures.